Gravity-carrier.



SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTBD JAN 22, 1907 APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1905.

n H H R. P.-MATHEWS & O. H. LISTER.

GRAVITY CARRIER W llllll l'lillll 3 5% n W5 TH/ W, fi fi i W55 w #1 n 5v No. 842,156. PATENTED JAN. 22, 1907'.

R. P. MATHEWS & 0. H. LISTER.

GRAVITY CARRIER.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 6, 1906.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

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w n-845:5: W. Wi M 2 UNITED STATES raglanr OFFICE.

HUHTS P. MATHEWS AND CHARLES H. LISTER. OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA- AHSIGNORS TO MATHEWS GRAVlTY CARRIER COMPANY, OF ST. PAUL MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

GRAVITY-CARRIER.

I No. 42,1 5e.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Jan. 22,1907.

Application filed November 6, 1905. Serial-N0. 285,969-

county, Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gravity- Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide a carrier for transporting articles of merchandise by gravitywithout any attention on the part of the operator except at each endot the carrier.

A further object is to provide a carrier of very strong and durable construction made in sections'and capable of being easily handled and connected up for use.

A further object is to provide a earner in which a large percentage of the friction incident to the use of wheels or rollers is eliminated and the device thereby rendered oper-' able on a very low grade.

The invention consists generally in 'providing a gravity-carrier having a central row of wheels or rollers between'two outside rows, the wheels of the outside rows being titled slightly in their bearings to direct the articles pass ng thereovertoward the center of the. carrier.

Further, the invention consists in providing a gravity-carrier having side and middle rails, the latter being adjustable toward or from each side to adapt the carrier -for use with packages of varying dimensions.

Further, the invention'consists in raising the'whcels of the center row a little above the level of those on the outside.

, Further, the invention consists in various constructions, and combinationa all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims. v

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of a gravity-carrier. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same, showing the position assumed by the package while travelihg over the carrier. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View illustrating the pitch or angle of the wheels of the outer rows with respect to their supports Fig. 4 is a plan view of a carrier with the uniddle rail adjustable and the Wheels of the side and middle rails in parallel planes. ,Fig. 5 is a similar view of the carrier with the adjustable middle rail, the wheels of the side railsbeing tilted or inclined slightly with respect to the plane of the wheels in the middle rail. Fig. 6 is a side elevationpartially in section, showing the position of the antifrietion-wheels in the rails. Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the manner of mounting the middle rail on its supports, and Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view showing a package resting upon the antifricti0n-wheels In the drawings, 2 represents the outside rails, and 3 the middleor intermediate rail of the carrier, each consisting of bars arran ed in pairs separated by blocks 4 and held in proper parallel-relation with one another byrods 5, which pass through all the rails of the carrier from one side to the other. Sleeves 6 are arranged on these rods between the middle and outside rails to prevent them from slipping out of place. When these rods are tightened, the rails will all be held securely together and will form a very strong and durable support for the articles to be transported. Between thebars of each rail we provide antifriction bearing wheels 7, preferably constructed, as shown in Fig. 3, with a flat bearirig-face 8 and ball-bearings 9 onahub10fi- The wheels of the center rail are mounted s uarely therein, with their axes at right angl esuto the direction'of movement of the packages. The hubs of the wheels in the outer rails, however, are tilted slightly, the

outer end, so .that the: wheels supported thereon will, be inclined slightly toward the center rail, though not. as much so as indicated in the drawings, where the tilt or angle of the outer wheels with respect to the inner vrail is exaggerated for the purpose of illustrating the invention more olearl This inclination of the wheels toward t e center of the carrier will have the eflect of directing the packages toward the center and positively prevent them from Working off either side, and if a package is placed near one edge at the receiving end of the carrier it will work toward the center as it moves along thereover and finally before reaching the discharge inner end of each hubbeing in the rear of'its IOO end will assume a position substantially central with respect to the three rails. It will not be necessary, therefore, to exercise care in placing the articles on the carrier.

The wheels of the middle row are a little above the level of those at the outside, so that a package will ride on the inside row and but one of the outside ones at a time and will travel either on one side "of the center or the other.- If it is started on one side and works over the center row a little too far and contacts with the row of wheels on the other side, the inclination of these wheelswill tend to direct the package toward the center and the opposite row, and the package may therefore in traveling a long distance over the carrier pass from one side to the other of the center,

- sary for the attendant to give it any atten-' but will always keep on the carrier and work toward the center row, and this tendency of the package to hug the center of the carrier will continue throughout its length, and

there will be no danger of the package workmg ofl at the sides, and it wil not be necestion except to place it on the carrier at the starting-point and remove it at the destinat1on.-

In'Sheet 2 of the drawings we have sho w-n a modified construction, which consists in providing recesses 1 Lin the lower edge of the middle rail toreceive the cross-bars 6 and prevent the rail from moving lengthwise, but allow it to he slipped along the rod 6, toward either side of the carrier, for the; purpose of decreasing the distance between. aside and middle rail to adapt the carrier -for transportin comparatively small ackages.

In *ig. 4 the wheels 7 in t e side rails are shown mounted in planes parallel with the plane of the wheels in the middle rail, as in some instances it is not necessary to tilt the outer wheels ontheir axes to prevent the.

packages from running off the carrier.

In Fig. 5 the wheels of the side rails are tilted, and in both Figs. land 5 the middle rail is adjusted nearer to one side rail than the other and whenever desired may be entirely removed and the carrier used with thewhich the carrier is operable renders it more PIfitCtlCitl from a commercial standpoint, and

the elimination of guards or guides renders the apparatus not only more convenient to transport from place to place, but also cheaper to manufacture.

We claim as our invention 1. A gravity-carrier having outside rails and a middle rail between them, a series of antifriction-wheels mounted in said rails, the

wheels of the outside rails being tilted or inclined slightly toward the middle rail, for the purpose specified therein, the wheels of the side rails being" tilted or inclined slightly toward the middle rail, and the Wheels of'the middle rail being above the level slightly of those on the outside, substantially as described.

4. A gravity-carrier having side and middle rails each composed of parallel bars with spaces between them, and rods connecting the said rails and holding them in parallel relation with one another, antifriction-wheels having bearings in said rails between the pairs of bars respectively, the wheels of the outer rails being tilted or inclined slightly tofwad the middle rail, for the purpose speci- 5. A gravity-carrier comprising side rails, and rods connecting them, a middle rail having recesses in its lower edge to receive said rods, said middle rail being slidable lengthwise of said rods between said side rails, and a series of narrow-faced antifriction-wheels mounted in said side and middle rails.

6. A gravity-carrier comprising side and middle rails and antifriction bearing-wheels mounted therein, the wheels of said side rails being tilted or inclined slightly in their axes with respect to the wheels of the middle rail, and said middle rail being adjustable toward either side rail, substantially as described.

7. A gravity-carrier having rails and narrow-faced idle wheels mounted therein, said wheels being tilted or inclined on their axes to direct articles passing thereover toward the center of the carrier.

8. A gravity-carrier hax ing rails and nar- Y row faced antiiriction carrying -whcels mounted therein, the bearings of said wheels being below the tops of said rails and the axes of said wheels being tilted or inclined to direct articles passing thereover toward the center of the carrier.

9. A gravity-carrier having side rails and carrying-wheels mounted therein, the wheels of one rail being. oppositely applied or inclined on their axes with respect to the correspendingv wheels of the other rail, whereby articles passing thereover will be directed toward the center of the carrier.

L0. A gravity-carrier having rails and idle f Wheels joiirnaled therein, Skid Wheels being 7 In witness whereof We have hereunto set I tilted or inclined ontheir axes to direct artiour hands this 26th day of October, 1905.

cles passing thereover toward the center of RUFUS P. MATHEWS. the carrier, and the Wheels ofeach rail being CHARLES H. LISTER.

sufficiently near together to prevent said ar Witnesses: ticles from dropping down between the Wheels RICHARD PAUL,.

and contacting with the mile. C. MAONAMARA. 

